I think the first question that needs to be answered is: Is a a split or the run down the tree from a lightning strike?

If it is a split does the split show on the other side of the tree?

If it is a split it looks like it has been there for many years, and is only now becoming a problem. This is base on the shape of the tree at the very base.

If it is a lightning strike the tree may be able to be saved.

If it is a split, the tree will have to come down now or in the not so distant future. months, years, If the split can be seen on both sides of the tree, I know it is expensive but I would take the tree down this fall.

What is near the tree? If it is a matter of expense, could you take the tree down yourself. Chainsaws rent is about $100. However you would then have to get rid of it, especially if you don't have a fireplace.

its dead man walking ...

no way to repair it..

get rid of it.. ASAP ...

think of it.. as an opportunity for something new.. out front ...

your dad.. is 100% correct ... and you are not ...

there is no way.. for a tree.. to heal itself.. with that type of injury .. and its surely not worth hundreds or thousands of dollars trying ...

what you should be researching.. is replacement options for your dad.. and so that you will have a new tree to hug ... just think... you two can plant a new 6 footer ... and enjoy it.. and the memory of doing it together.. for the next 50 years or so ...

try not to get wound up in losing a tree ... its natures way ...

ken

ps: any 'professional' ... who tells you otherwise.. and encourages you to fork over money ... is no more than a flim flam man ...

Dear Ken & Knuttle,
I don't think the crack is from a lightning strike and the split is all the way through so it's clearly visible from both sides. Ken, thanks for the suggestions. I wanted to make sure that the tree really was not salvageable (from asking someone other than the man who will be cutting down the tree), but given that it is, I appreciate your advice to plant a new tree! Thanks very much to you both, and the tree will be coming down in a day or two but hopefully a new one will be coming not too much later :). Thanks a lot for your responses!

Or you could try holding it together with a long screw, about 0,5-1 inch in diameter with a large washer and nut in both ends. That would probably help the tree survive some more years even if it wont make it as good as new again.

I disagree with the bolt idea. This tree looks to be in a residential area. The risk factor is pretty high.

Then again, if the guy putting the bolt in will replace your car that you're going to park under the tree every night and insure whoever is on the sidewalk going by it.....

The genesis of this deformity was the codominant stems, probably resulting from a broken top when it was just a wee thing. That's a classic example of what codominant stems/included bark yield. You could rod and cable it, by which I mean, you could have a professional arborist insert a threaded rod and cable, the details of which such a person would know, but I'd sooner remove the tree and get something decent started. Then, hopefully, proper early-stage tree care will ensue and a nice tree will result.

+oM

I would be real leery of just walking under it. I'd be surprised if it doesn't come down with the first front that comes in.
Time to take it down in a controlled manner as soon as possible.
Mike

Thanks for all the posts! We have a professional coming in over the weekend to take care of the tree :).

juny3847, to lessen the blow, what are you thinking of replacing it with? Planting season is coming up quickly.

May I recommend a Dawn Redwood. Something different. Grows fast and are pretty polite if you limb them up. They are pyramidal and don't seem prone to getting any large house killing branches either based on the 60 year old ones I have seen. For trivia Dawn Redwoods were known from fossils and thought to be extinct until a grove was found in China just before WWII. After the war some seeds were brought back and presto. A tree that hasn't grown on this continent in who knows how many millions of can now be ordered online.

{{gwi:351170}}